Hero Under the Mask
by Azure K Mello
Summary: After retiring, Peter feels pretty good about his life. But, just because he's retired doesn't mean he's not a hero. When things are hard, sometimes plain old Peter Parker is the hero the situation requires. Sequel to Still Swinging.


Really, it was a simple promise: don't be brave. It was easy to keep. Peter went to school, went to all his clubs, internship and hung out with his many and varied friends. He was getting ready for Washington and Nationals. It was really easy to forget he'd been a superhero. He was happy. He was flirting with Liz and it was kinda going okay. She said yes to being his date to the homecoming dance.

Then there was the bodega. Doom, freaking Doom, had his bots going full tilt and Peter got stuck in a bodega. And really, he was fine with that. He could see Tony, Rhodey, Vision and Nova dealing with it. Fine by him. But he was looking out the door when he saw it and sighed. The heroes were all focused on Doom and his robots. The cops had evacuated the street but not perfectly. He looked around. The place was filled with old people and mothers with young kids. He was really on his own brawn-wise. He breathed out and said, "Hey, Mr. Owner Guy, come here," he said. The guy came, overweight and in his mid-fifties, and Peter pointed at what he was seeing. "Imma run out, grab that and come back real quick. Then we'll drop the security doors?"

"Kid, y'shouldn't go out there. It's too dangerous. I'll go," the man squared his shoulders and Peter didn't doubt that he would try but it was going to take speed to pull it off. The man could have carried the burden but not at a fast enough speed.

"No, I box and I run," said Peter. "It will be fine. But can you man the door? Please?"

"Okay, kid. If you're sure."

"I'm positive, just man the door." Peter darted out, he crouched as he ran across the street to the dumpster. He looked at the soot-covered face and said, "Put your arms around my neck and don't scream." The kid nodded and did as Peter asked. Peter stayed low as he ran and ducked back into the store. He was gone less than a full minute. "I'm gonna put you down and help the nice store owner close the gate." He said before putting the kid down and helping the man close and lock the gate then pull down and lock an additional security shutter. He turned back, the soot-coated kid was wearing shoes with butterflies so he decided it was a girl. They locked the glass doors and Peter crouched, "It's okay, honey, you're inside now. The heroes are working on it; we'll be safe as safe can be and be able to leave soon." She huddled close to him and he hugged her again, saying, "I'm Peter. You're okay now. What's your name?"

"Ashley." She was looking around at the other people in the bodega but she curled into him.

"Hi, Ashley, it's nice to meet you. Let's wash your face, honey." He led her into the bathroom, propping the door open with his hip and gently washed off her face. "Oh, hey, there's a little girl under the ash." She smiled at him. "Hi," he said.

"Hi," she said.

"Are you hurt or anything? Lots going on out there."

"I lost my mommy. We were running and then I lost her and," she started to cry.

"Okay, okay," he rubbed her back. "I know it's scary. The minute the coast clear we'll find a policeman, or a fireman, or a superhero and ask for help. Okay?" she nodded. "Are you physically hurt? I know a little first aid 'cause bullies don't like me."

"My foot hurts," Ashley admitted.

"Let's have a look," Peter picked her up and carried her back into the shop, aware of her foot and put her on the counter. "Hope this is okay, sir," said Peter to the bodega owner. He never crossed a bodega owner: they were the people who made all his sandwiches.

"It's fine," agreed the man. Peter crouched and saw there was a shard of glass through the sole of her shoe.

"Huh, it looks like you mighta stepped on some glass. I don't know what to do about that. But guess what? My aunt's nurse, pretty useful, huh?" Ashley nodded. "Let's call my aunt." He hit speed dial one and when she picked up he said, "Hey, May, I'm safe. Are you safe?"

"Peter, I'm fine. Tell me you aren't being brave."

"I'm sorry, May, I was a little brave. There's a little girl, Ashley, I grabbed her and we're in a bodega. Can I put you on speakerphone? I have a medical question."

"Put me on speakerphone so that she hears someone maternal but switch me back if I tell you to."

"Thanks, May." He tapped the speakerphone button and said, "Ashley, say hi to Aunt May."

"Hi, Aunt May," said the little girl.

"Hi, Ashley. I'm a nurse, are you hurt?"

"My foot hurts," she said.

"May, I looked, there's a shard of glass sticking in Ashley's shoe. So, my question is, do I take off the shoe or leave it where it is? Could it be stemming a wound? I just don't know."

"Okay, look at the stitching. Is the color on the two shoes the same?"

Peter looked at the shoes, "So, the one with the glass looks beige."

"Okay, so Ashley, you might be bleeding a little. Pete, holding her foot still unlace the shoe completely." Peter followed the order. "Then you're going to very slowly remove the shoe and stop is it hurts or you feel any resistance. Ashley, you tell Peter if it hurts, okay?"

"Okay, Aunt May," said the little girl. Peter moved very slowly. The little girl didn't make a peep but her sock was covered in blood.

"Aunt May, Ashley's sock is pretty soaked in blood but the glass wasn't stuck."

"That means it was shallower than it could have been, which is great, Ashley," she said. "Peter, take off Ashley's sock, again do it slowly." He did. "Is it still bleeding?"

"Yes," said Peter.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do. Mr. or Mrs. Bodega Owner?" she asked.

"Ahmed," offered the man.

"Hi, Ahmed, I'm May. We need a bottle of water and clean gauze. Peter has an emergency credit card, he'll pay."

"We all have emergency funds, May. Peter doesn't have to pay."

"That's very kind of you," said May. She talked Peter though washing the wound. She asked him to send a photo and then talked him through wrapping it carefully. Afterwards he stood up and leaned next to Ashley she stayed on the counter. "Pete, carry her to the cops or firemen; it might need stitches. Do me a favor and bring someone with you."

"Why?" asked Peter. "I'm strong enough to carry a five-year-old by myself."

"Because, there's something creepy about strange men walking off with little girls."

"I'm not a strange man: I'm fifteen," protested Peter.

She laughed, "Peter, I know that and you know that. But for the sake of propriety please have someone come with you."

"I can do that, May," said a woman. "I'm Matty."

"Thank you, Matty. Does anyone else need medical help?" Peter turned to the counter display of candy and took a Snickers. Opening his wallet he handed Ahmed a dollar fifty before opening it. The stress of the afternoon was freaking out his stomach.

"I have a weird shaped mole and it's new," said a guy.

"Get it checked," said May.

"It's in a weird place," said the guy.

"Nurses and doctors genuinely don't care," said May. "I assure you: we're not embarrassed. If you have a new weird mole, get it checked."

"My kid," said a woman, and then she started listing off symptoms of being worn down and sick.

May chuckled, "What you're not saying is that he's gay and you're scared, right?"

"Yeah," said the woman.

"That's not HIV; that's partying too much. The number of parents who have the same fear: that's not HIV, it's burning the candle at both ends. But, talk to him about getting tested. I think getting tested for social diseases is something that should be normalized. It's never bad to know. So, start the conversation. Say that you were concerned and asked a nurse and she said he didn't have HIV but wouldn't it be nice to know he didn't have anything. It's never too late to have safety conversations, it's also never too early. Peter, how many conversations have we had about safety and respect for both yourself and people that you like?"

"So many," said Peter, swallowing the bite of Snickers he'd been chewing.

"And how many dates have you had?"

"Well, Liz said yes to homecoming today. So, like, maybe an eighth of a date."

"She said yes?"

"Yeah, so can you, like, teach me to dance? Also, do you wear a suit to homecoming? It's not Prom or Semi, but, like, how dressed do you have to be? Do I get her a corsage?"

"It's never bad to be overdressed, we'll get her a corsage, ask her the color of her dress. And dancing is so easy; I can teach you to dance."

"Thank you, May."

"I didn't hit the store, and it's going to be overrun because it always is after any form of an emergency so what do you want for dinner?"

"Tony texted me, he wants curry. Y'wanna get curry with him?" She sighed and he said, "I think when the others all disappeared… It's just him, Rhodey and Vis. They used to all have dinner together after things like this."

"So, dinner at the mansion," she said. "Am I invited?"

"You know Tony loves you. He's flirty as all get out but I'm pretty sure that if you offered to adopt him he would say yes."

"I'm two years younger than him," May said.

"Yes, but you're a grownup and he's Tony."

"Okay, once we get through the first wave of panicers here at the hospital, I will text you and make my way to Tony's."

"Thank you, Aunt May. I know it's a chore to schlep from Queens to Manhattan but…"

"Tony's your friend; he is having a rough time," she said and he could almost hear her shrug.

"Thank you, May, I'll let you get back to work."

"Peter, no more being brave."

"In my defense, I was safely in Ahmed's bodega and then I saw a pile of and clothes with scared eyes. Ahmed covered my back. You know what a fast runner I am. I grabbed Ashley and we came back. It was all of a minute. Now, we're behind a security gate and a security shutter and locked doors."

"No more bravery," she said.

"Love you," said Peter.

"I love you too, honey."

"Bye, May."

"Bye, Peter."

They hung up and Ahmed said, "History of bravery?"

"I see stuff and I get involved," explained Peter. "It freaks her out."

"I'm glad you were brave," said Ashley.

"Me too," said Peter.

"You're my hero," she said and hugged him.

Outside the superheroes were fighting Doombots and Doom himself but Peter was perfectly happy being one little girl's hero as just Peter and not Spider-Man. 


End file.
